The Look Of Forever
by The Last Letter
Summary: Bones and Booth haven't seen each other for two years after a really bad break up, but they are reunited at Angela's wedding. Bones knows that she wants Booth back, and he wants her to, but there's one problem. Her boyfriend.


I smiled, thinking of Joseph. He was three years older than I, with light brown hair and brown eyes. We had started dating six months after I had broken up with my boyfriend of five years, Seeley Booth. Joe was all I could ever want. He treated me like a queen, let me have my alone time, and he tried to take an interest in my work. When we first started going out, I had to keep him away from Angela so she wouldn't steal him. Imagine, stubborn Angela, who always insisted that Booth was my soul mate, had changed her mind. The moment she met Joe she told me that he was a keeper, and I believed her. After all he was perfect. In the two years we had been together we'd never had a fight. It amazed me.

I fixed my hair in the mirror. It felt weird to be all dressed up. I squirmed uncomfortably in my light blue dress. I heard a shout from down the hall and ran to where Angela and her mother were fighting. "Mother, I am _not_ wearing that ugly old necklace!" It was Ange's wedding day, and so far she had done nothing but scream, cry and fight with everyone. I looked at the necklace her mother was holding out, and did a double take. The thing was gorgeous. A silver choker with light blue stones.

"Angela, dear, it is not ugly." Her mother tried to reason with her.

"Give it to Bren! She's the one in blue! Mother, I have all purple accessories!" Angela waved a hand at herself, where she had purple flowers in her hair, purple earrings and a purple trim to her white dress.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I wore it at my wedding, and I thought you might want too wear-"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Angela yelled suddenly, and threw a hair brush at her mother. The older lady shrieked and ran out of the room. Angela collapsed onto a chair.

"Ange?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Hi, Sweetie." Angela looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "I don't think I can do this."

I saw down beside her. "Ange, you've been looking forward to this day for so long, Hodgins has been looking forward to this day. All he's been talking about lately is how beautiful you are, and how he can't believe you are really going to be his." I smiled at her.

She smiled back. "He thinks I'm beautiful?"

"Ange, you are beautiful. Ange, you're drop dead gorgeous."

Angela beamed. "Thanks, Bren. You always know what to say." Angela stood, and began to look for a purple necklace. "How's Joe?"

I was surprised at the harsh tones in her voice. "Fine. Why do you sound like you hate him?"

"It's not he, it's just that," Angela's eyes connected with mine in the mirror, "You're not the same Sweetie."

"What are you talking about?" I reached for one of my high heels. "I haven't changed."

"Yes you have. Ever since you and Booth had that break up, you've been different. It was hard, it was a really bad break up, I get that. But, it's been almost three years. Babe, are you sure you're over him?"

"I have no feelings left for Seeley Booth." I assured her. "I'm with Joe, now. I love him."

"That's good." Ange said quietly, running a brush through her hair.

"Ange, what are you hiding?"

"It's not hiding, really, it's just that . . . Booth is Jack's best man." She blurted. "And you have to dance the first dance with him."

"That's fine. I'm sure it will be a little awkward, but we're adults. I'm sure we can handle a dance, and be civil to each other."

Angela smiled, but her eyes showed her doubt.***

I could handle seeing Booth again. We had been great friends before becoming lovers, and I don't hate him. I couldn't be sure of what he thought of me, but he couldn't hate me. Right? I was thinking this as I walked down the hallway. I was grabbed from behind. I squealed and reached back, ready to flip the attacker over my shoulder.

"Calm down Baby. It's just me." Joe.

I stopped fighting him, and looked up into this eyes. He spun me away from him to get a better look at my dress. "I can't wait for the first dance." He said, eyeing me.

"As the Maid of Honor I have to dance the first dance with the best man." I told him.

He shrugged and pulled me close. "Then I can't wait for our first dance."

He was about to kiss me on the lips when Angela screamed from down the hall, "YOU RUIN HER MAKE-UP AND YOU WILL DIE!"

I backed away from him a little bit. "She will kill you, no matter how great you are." He grinned, and we continued walking down the hall.

"So who is Jack's best man?" Joe asked, conversationally.

I cringed away from the question. I didn't know how Joe would react. He knew all about Booth, even if he had never met him. "Seeley Booth." I admitted, keeping my eyes down.

"Your ex?" He definitely sounded angry.

"It's one dance. And you know I care only for you." I could feel him calm beside me.

"Promise?"

"Promise," I confirmed.

He was about to kiss me again. "TEMPERANCE BRENNAN!" Angela screamed again. "BUTT IN HERE!"

I looked at Joe's lively brown eyes. "Either she's having another breakdown or she saw that."

"NOW!"

"I'd better go." I started to walk back to Angela's room, but turned. "I'll see you out there."

***

I held my bouquet, and began to walk down the aisle. Angela had insisted on an outdoor wedding, and Hodgins had indulged her every desire. Guests watched me as I walked, but I kept my eyes straight ahead. I stood beside the priest and smiled at Hodgins. He looked nervous. I looked everywhere but at Booth. The wedding march began, and I turned to see Angela. I had seen her only moments before, but she was still a beauty. In seconds she was holding onto Hodgins hand, I though her face would break from the way she was smiling. As the vows began, I looked at Booth.

His calm eyes were on me, watching my every move. In that moment everything I had loved about him came rushing back. The years we'd spent together, friends or otherwise. Every touch, every whispered word, they all filled my mind. He filled my mind. His eyes caught me, and my breath caught in my throat.

Then he looked away.

I bowed my head, studying my flowers, but I couldn't get him out of my mind. I began comparing Booth to Joe.

Their looks were different. Booth was the tall, dark and handsome type. Dark brown eyes, dark brown hair, he seemed almost elusive, although I was more so than him. Joe had light brown eyes, light brown hair, he was ready to let the world in.

Booth had seen things, terrible things, during his time in the Rangers, and as an FBI agent. He'd fought hard to get where he was, to protect things he loved. Joe had lead a simple life, grown up in a small town. He'd taken over his father's construction business when his father had retired. Joe hadn't had to face the things that Booth had.

Booth wasn't afraid to challenge me, to argue with me. He wasn't afraid to make a fool out of himself. He wasn't afraid to make his opinions known. He wasn't afraid to mock me, or kiss me in public. Joe was more of a go with the flow, he couldn't stand confrontations, he would hear my opinion, nod and say "if that's what you think," it had annoyed me at first, but now I was used to it. To Joe image counted a lot. He wouldn't even let me hold his hand in public. He wouldn't wrap his arm around my shoulders. That was all left for when we were at home.

Booth and I, well, our relationship had been filled with passion, completing each other. When I'd first met him, I hadn't realized what I had been feeling, but now I knew. I had fallen head over heels for him. I hadn't said anything, but he would always be around, a smirk, a smile and a cocky attitude. Later I learned that was him covering up his feelings. With Joe, I had more like eased into the relationship. It hadn't been the rush it had been with Booth. It was slow, and easy. It was comfortable, like slipping on an old pair of slippers. A perfect fit and still comfortable. We'd always been lacking the passion, the feeling, that Booth and I had shared. In the years I'd been with him, Joe had never taken my breath away like Booth could with a single glance.

Much like the one he was giving me now.

I looked at him, and suddenly, all I wanted to do was kiss him again. To be safe in his strong arms. I didn't care where Joe was, I didn't care if he knew, I didn't really care for Joe much. I'd never truly loved him.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." I looked over in time to see Hodgins kiss Angela, that look never leaving her face. The look of forever.

There was a cheering in the crowd as Angela and Hodgins made their way down the aisle. Rice was thrown, everyone was smiling, tears were forming in eyes. I watched them go, happy for her. She'd gotten what she'd always wanted - love. I snuck a sideways glance at Booth. Something I'd given up. We'd had a really bad break up. Screaming, fighting, I might have thrown a few things at him (hair brush, his shoe, a multitude of multi coloured socks and his 'cocky' belt buckle) and then he'd just been gone. I had sold the little house we had been living in. I moved back to an apartment. I tried to forget about him, but his smell still lingered in some of the bed sheets. I still found pictures of us where they shouldn't be, like someone had planted them there.

The guests began to stand and leave for the reception, which was being held at a little building on the outskirts of town. I found Joe, I went to kiss him, but he stopped me just before our lips' met. "What?" I whispered, although I had a very good idea. 'I've always been disgusted by people falling all over each other in public. It's horrible for the people who have to see it . . .' And so on.

"There's someone watching us." This, at least, was new. I backed away from him, and scanned the moving crowds, but no one was watching. "He's gone now, but I could've sworn there was someone there."

"What did he look like?" We walked to his car. I didn't know how to tell Joe that I didn't want him anymore, and, though it seemed unfair to lead him on, I didn't want to tell him tonight.

"In a suit, dark hair, a scowl on his face, he was rather tall . . ." I gulped. That sounded like Booth.

"It could have been anyone." Joe started the car. We arrived at the reception minutes later. People were milling around, chatting, snacking. My plan was to stick close to Joe, but one of Angela's friends, Justine, began to talk to me, and I listened, out of courtesy. I didn't notice when Joe moved on.

Angela and Hodgins arrived. She was gripping his arm, and talking a mile a minute. He looked happy to listen. Guests went up to congratulate them and make small talk about how wonderful the wedding had been. I would wait and catch up with them later. I didn't like crowds. I slipped inside the slightly dark building and found a place in a dark corner. I stayed there, alone, not noticing what was going on around me. At least until someone announced the first dance. Angela had drilled it into me, and, so she said, Booth, that yes, we were going to dance the first dance together, and if we didn't there would be Hell to pay. She said this all with a smile on her face.

I stepped to the edge of the dance floor. Seconds later, he found me. "Hello Temperance." His voice was level, and I felt dazed. I did pick up on one thing though. I didn't remember a time when he called me Temperance. I was always Bones. As much as I had complained about the nicknamed, it had become a part of us. I felt sad.

"Hello Seeley." Angela swirled by. She hissed something, but I couldn't quite make it out. Booth offered his arm, and I took it. We were dancing, I felt like I was in heaven. Around and around, caught in his arms again. Granted, we didn't stray to close to each other.

"What have you been up too?" He asks.

The question catches me off guard. I hadn't really expected him to talk. "Great. Still working. I've been with a guy for a while, but I don't think it's going to last much longer. What about you?"

He ignores my question. "Why, what's wrong with him?" I notice that he has picked Joe out of the crowd.

"Nothing bad, it's just, our relationship is missing something." I brushed the hair on the back of his neck without thinking.

"Really?" He sounded interested. Too interested.

"Yeah. What have you been up too?"

"I lived in California for a while, but I had to come back. It wasn't home, and I was so far away from Parker."

"How is he?"

"Excelling in science. I blame you squints." I laughed. "He asks about you." His voice turned sad.

"He asks about me?" This makes me feel happy. I missed my little friend, and I was glad to know that he had developed an interest in science.

"He wants to know where his Dr. Bones went. I never know what to tell him." He pauses. "I don't quite know myself."

I didn't either, actually. I told him this. "I don't know either. One second we were fighting. The next you were gone."

"_I _was gone?" Booth scoffed. "You threw my belt buckle at my head!"

"I was always throwing things at your big head. Only," I forced myself to say it. Even with Booth I had never been completely comfortable talking about my feelings. "Only all of those others times you were there so I could kiss it better."

"I wanted to be. I just don't know why I never made it back." Booth admitted. All this time we were getting closer, and the music just kept playing.

"I waited for you. I waited for you for so long, but you were never there." I felt his warm hands begin to rub my lower back.

"I should have called, I should have done something. I never wanted to let you go."

"Then why didn't you come back? Why didn't you find me? Why wait two years to tell me this?"

"I was scared!" Booth exclaimed. "I was scared that you would reject me. I didn't know if I could take that. I know how you are. You can slide back into your shell at the slightest comment. We were working on it, getting better, you stopped throwing pointy objects at me when you got angry." I let out a slight laugh. "I just thought that you would freeze me out again. I couldn't take it."

"I would have cried, I would have beat the Hell out of you, but I wouldn't have turned you away." The song changed, and I could see Joe making his way toward us. I didn't care. I pulled Booth closer.

He looked at me. I could see him processing this. "Would you turn me away now?" I must have looked confused, because he elaborated. "If I asked you to come with me so we could talk this out, go back to what we once had, would you turn me away?"

I didn't have to think about it. "No, I wouldn't."

"Then come with me." He slid an arm around my waist and led me toward the front door.

"HEY!" I heard Joe yell from behind us. No one else really seemed to notice though. I cringed and instinctively moved closer to Booth. Ever after years apart, he was the only one I trusted enough to protect me. Booth stared down at Joe. "Where do you think you're going with my girlfriend?" Once I would have been thrilled at Joe calling me his girlfriend, but I didn't care anymore.

"I don't want to be your girlfriend!" I broke into their squabbling.

Joe looked at me like he was going to cry. "What?"

"Joe, I don't love you. Somewhere along the line we both must have realized that this wasn't going to last forever."

"I wanted it to!" He hissed. He threw something at my feet. "Fuck you Temperance Brennan." He stalked away. I knelt and picked up the object he had thrown.

"An engagement ring." I gasped, balancing it on my palm. I had never expected to marry him. I had never expected he would ask. I looked up at Booth, who was watching me. "I'll give it back to him as soon as I can." I assured him.

Booth led me out the door. It had gotten dark out. Booth spun to face me. "I know this may not be the right time, but I have to know, someday, will you marry me?" He got down on his knee and pulled out a ring. I stared. A million things ran through my head. Like how I had just seen him again after two years apart, like how we had barely begun to get to know each other again. And yet, all I could do was nod. He slid the ring on my finger. He stood and gathered me in his arms.

"I love you, Bones." He said before he kissed me.

**I do not own **_**Bones**_**. I do own this plot, so fingers off! I have absolutely no knowledge of weddings. I'm making all this stuff up. Everyone okay with that?**

**~DI4MGZ~**


End file.
